Inductor mounting apparatus and method of use thereof

Abstract

The invention comprises an inductor mounting method and apparatus. An about annular inductor is mounted using a non-conducting mount element passing at least into a center opening of the inductor. Mounting hardware forces an edge surface of the mount into proximate contact with an edge of the inductor, where the mount and mounting hardware minimally contact the inductor. The mount optionally includes holes and/or grooves to further reduce mount/inductor contact, which aids liquid, convective, and/or radiative cooling of the inductor. The inductor is optionally composed of particles of magnetic material coated with carbon and embedded into an epoxy to yield a distributed gap material.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus for mounting an inverter/converter system, comprising:
 a first inductor, comprising: an inner face, an outer face, a first side, a second side, and a substantially annular core comprising a central aperture therethrough; and 
 an inductor mount, said inductor mount comprising:
 an inner surface circumferentially surrounded by said first inductor; 
 an outer surface outside of said first inductor; and 
 a tapered edge connecting said inner surface of said inductor mount to said outer surface of said inductor mount, said inner surface comprising a first cross-sectional area smaller than a second cross-sectional area of said outer surface, 
 
 said inductor mount configured to minimize shaking of said inductor during use, said inductor mount extending at least partially into the central aperture. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1 , said inductor mount comprising at least one path through said inductor mount along an axis from said outer surface of said first inductor mount to said inner surface of said inductor mount, said path configured for flow of a coolant. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein said path comprises at least one groove into an outer surface of the inductor mount, said groove configured for flow of the coolant. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 2 , said inductor mount comprising at least one hole therethrough. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 1 , said tapered edge of said inductor mount contacting a curved surface of said inductor, said curved surface connecting said inner face of said inductor to said first side of said inductor. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 said tapered edge of said mount comprising an outer surface contacting a rounded edge of said inner face of said inductor. 
 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a mounting system comprising at least one spacer configured to hold said inductor, said at least one spacer of said mounting system configured to prevent direct contact of said outer face of said inductor, said first side of said inductor, and said second side of said inductor with an inner surface of a containment part about said inductor. 
     
     
       8. An apparatus for mounting an inverter/converter system, comprising:
 a first inductor, comprising: an inner face, an outer face, a first side, a second side, and a substantially annular core comprising a central aperture therethrough; 
 an inductor mount, said inductor mount configured to minimize shaking of said inductor during use, said inductor mount extending at least partially into the central aperture; and 
 a plurality of coolant containment parts having an outer surface and an inner surface, said plurality of coolant containment parts configured to hold a substantially non-conductive coolant within one-quarter inch of said inductor during use. 
 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising heat sink fins connected to said inner surface of said coolant containment parts, wherein said second heat sink fins directly contact the coolant during use. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of  claim 1 , said inductor comprised in a power processing system, said power processing system comprising:
 at least one high temperature superconducting element. 
 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of  claim 1 , said inductor comprising:
 an inductor core, said inductor core comprising:
 a plurality of coated particles, each of a majority of said coated particles comprising:
 at least three layers; 
 a first set of alternating substantially magnetic layers, wherein said magnetic layers comprise at least one alloy; and 
 a second set of alternating substantially non-magnetic layers, 
 
 
 said coated particles about evenly distributed in at least a portion of said inductor core. 
 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first sub-plate configured to mount: said first inductor, a first capacitor, and a first cooling element; and 
 a second sub-plate configured to mount: a second inductor, a second capacitor, and a second cooling element, 
 wherein said first sub-plate mounts to a base plate independently of said second sub-plate, said second sub-plate configured to mount to said base plate. 
 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein said inductor exhibits a permeability of less than thirteen delta Gauss per delta Oersted at a load of four hundred Oersteds. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising an air flow shroud mounted at least partially circumferentially about said inductor, said air flow shroud configured to guide air flow at least through said aperture and about said outer face of said inductor. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of  claim 11 , said inductor configured to process medium voltage power in the range of about one thousand to five thousand volts. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of  claim 1 , said inductor configured to process medium voltage power contained in a wall mounting system. 
     
     
       17. A method for mounting an inverter/converter system, comprising the steps of:
 providing an inductor, comprising: an inner face, an outer face, a first side, a second side, and a substantially annular core comprising a central aperture therethrough; and 
 mounting said inductor using an inductor mount, said inductor mount configured to minimize shaking of said inductor during use, said inductor mount extending at least partially into the central aperture, said inductor mount comprising a coolant flow path, said coolant flow path comprising at least one of:
 a path through said inductor mount along an axis from an outer surface of said inductor mount outside of said inductor to an inner surface of said inductor mount in the central aperture of said inductor; and 
 a groove in an outer surface of the inductor mount.